The Gaswork Docks Partnership used the Reach Fund to enable them to build robust business plans, develop financial forecasting tools and strengthen fundraising capacity.
Hidden away in the depths of an industrial estate is Cody Dock, in Newham, East London. An idyllic haven amongst the tower blocks and warehouses, Cody Dock is a powerful example of how grassroots initiatives can drive meaningful urban regeneration. Once a derelict dock in one of the UK’s most deprived boroughs, it is now a thriving hub for environmental, social, and cultural engagement—powered by volunteers, smart funding, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Studies have shown that Newham (alongside neighbouring Barking & Dagenham) have one of the most transient boroughs in the country. With high levels of population turnover things like community cohesion are a constant challenge. On average people stay in Newham for no more than four years before moving outside the borough.
Residents realised that regeneration needed to go beyond buildings—it had to build community, identity, and connection to place. CEO Simon Myers continues “We asked ourselves, why have we stayed more than four years? What do we know that other people don’t? And it was very much to do with this river, and the ecology and the heritage.”
What steps do you need to take to turn an abandoned dock with no public access into something the local residents can be proud of? A dedicated overarching strategic vision of what the space could be used for at leadership level, engaging the local community and a solid business plan.
The Gaswork Docks Partnership team initially started to explore commercial opportunities at Cody Dock by opening up a handful of shipping container studios for creatives, which were immediately rented as East London is a longtime muse for the creative industry. Permanent moorings followed for riverboats which were immediately snapped up. Gradually increasing availability of the studios and moorings has ensured a consistent growth for the partnership.
Raising community awareness was also key in securing the future of the endeavour, memorably coming in some of the most unconventional form, as Simon explains “We put on an opera on a floating stage and handed out tickets to everyone in the community. They suddenly saw the river, and they were like, ‘Oh my goodness, we had no idea this was right on our doorstep.’”. Other engagement opportunities included asking visiting schools (Cody Dock has many different environmental projects ongoing) to host exhibitions of pupils work there which gave parents the perfect opportunity to discover this hidden gem.
This also enabled the site to engage regular cohorts of residents to volunteer their time to the upkeep of the site as well as keen commercial volunteers. In 2024 over 2,500 local people and 900 people from a corporate background volunteered at Cody Dock.
Receiving Reach Fund backing was a significant turning point for the Gaswork Docks Partnership, enabling them to build robust business plans, develop financial forecasting tools and strengthen fundraising capacity. The targeted Reach funding proved invaluable in gaining over £3.3m of inward investment by allowing them to identify the right type of funding while being able to provide a credible business plan and financial forecast at point of application.
This inward investment has already enabled the partnership to add additional studios, arts venue and café to their portfolio. By adding revenue generating opportunities to the site, the Gaswork Dock Partnership’s business model has changed from being reliant on 80% grant funding annually to being 90% self-sustaining in two and half years.
The Reach Fund grant will help to create a lasting legacy on Cody Docks, not only with the business model shift and additional infrastructure, there is also a museum being constructed about the history of the area, with a big nod towards the critical role it played industrially in the Victorian era (the roof is being made of the hull of the last vessel made by Thames Ironworks). The invest will also allow extra capacity for visitors (120,000 in 2024) as well as creating programmes for isolated members of the community to include multi-lingual, multi-generational groups. As Simon Myers concludes “If it wasn’t for that Reach Fund grant, there’s no way that we could have done it. Relatively small amounts of money have managed to lever in significant amounts and made all the difference. We have a cushion of funding for the next three years and a clear path to financial sustainability.”
Cody Dock is a testament to what’s possible when local vision meets strategic funding and strong partnerships. Its journey illustrates how urban spaces can be reclaimed not just physically, but socially and economically—with lasting impact.
